


east of the sun (west of the moon)

by storyskein



Category: Siren (2018)
Genre: 1.3, F/F, Sharing a Bed, Sirens, Sweet/Hot, Timestamp, it gets a little pg-13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 01:47:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14154021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storyskein/pseuds/storyskein
Summary: ryn doesn't like to sleep alone, and truthfully, neither does maddie.





	east of the sun (west of the moon)

**Author's Note:**

> title from "east of the sun (west of the moon)" written by brooks bowman. lots of performers have a version of this song, the versions that inspired this piece are sung by billie holiday and jazzmeia horn.
> 
>  
> 
> *the idea came from the 1.3 promo

The best thing about staying at Ben’s place instead of her dad’s is the ocean lullaby. Maddie can close her eyes and just drift to sleep, not thinking about anything else except the distant crashing of waves. 

Tonight she is alone in the house with Ryn. Ben had left with Xander and Calvin to take the locator to a hacker they knew, to see if they could figure out where it came from. 

“I don’t know if I should leave you alone with her.” Ben looked over her shoulder at Ryn, who stood at the railing of his deck, looking out to the sunset. “I can stay--”

Maddie lifted onto her toes and gave him a sweet kiss. “I’ll be fine.” 

“But after last night--” 

“She was scared,” Maddie said emphatically, squeezing Ben’s hand. “And she felt bad after, remember?”

Ryn had come to them hours later, deep into the night. “Sleep?” Ryan pointed in between the Maddie and Ben. “Me.” 

Maddie blinked at Ben, who was startled but obviously trying to come up with something proper. It was no secret between them that Ryn had..an effect, to say the least...on them. _It’s just being a siren_ , Maddie reminded herself. Helen had told them that if they were going to be Ryn’s home for awhile, that it could get...well, complicated. 

“Sirens are social creatures, remember?” Maddie whispered to Ben. “I bet she’s lonely. And feels bad.” 

“Bad!” Ryn exclaimed, pointing to herself, nodding. She looked at Maddie. “I’m--sorry. For…” She mimicked pushing her with her arms, gesticulating wildly. 

“It’s okay,” Maddie smiled. The whole situation was suddenly ridiculous to her, which deflated any sort of concern she had. A siren--a mermaid--was standing in her room, wanting to sleep between her and her boyfriend. Fine. “Get in, we’ll make room.” 

She and Ben lifted the covers, but Ryn nodded _no_. Maddie could tell that there was something about being trapped that Ryn didn’t want. But she settled in between them, making low, happy, animal-like sounds. Then just like that, she was out, and Maddie and Ben were left staring at each other. 

Maddie laughs quietly at the memory of Ben, utterly petrified of Ryn being in bed with them, staring over at her with owl-eyes until he eventually fell asleep. They were still new enough in their relationship that he didn’t _quite_ believe she was as chill as she actually was. 

She shifts in bed, restless, now. The ocean is soothing, but her mind flashes continuously through the incredible events of the past few days. Sighing, she reaches for her phone, pulls up her late night jazz playlist. In a few moments, Billie Holiday’s voice comes through the speakers, soft and rich and riding the swell of the waves outside. 

She’s at the point where blissed-out fades into dreamy slumber when her primal-senses fire. 

She’s not alone. 

Maddie sits up with a jerk to see Ryn, again, at the foot of the bed. 

“Shit, you scared me.” Maddie grips her chest, trying to slow her breathing. 

Ryn’s turquoise eyes stare at her, unblinking. “Scared you?”

Maddie nods. “Just a little. I was almost asleep.”

“Sleep.” Ryn confirms the concept. “I...sleep with you? Not...just Ryn.”

Maddie almost says no, reflexively, thinking of Ben, thinking of _proper_. But what is exactly proper etiquette for hosting a siren? And besides, she tells herself, she and Ben did it last night. He’ll get it. 

And also...well, the way Ryn looks at her, the way Ryn was looking at her and Ben last night...She doesn’t express it, but Maddie gets the distinct impression that she’s lonely for her sister, for maybe the pod--no, _choir_ , Helen had said--they had been a part of. 

Maddie’s heart breaks for her. Ryn is alone and scared. 

Maddie pats the bed. “Come on. Get in.”

Ryan sort-of hisses, but in happiness, and her mouth flicks up. Too forcefully--like she does everything--she throws back the blanket, but this time, slides under the sheet. 

Maddie points to the bed. “Bed.”

“Bed.” Ryn nods, settling on to her side. 

Maddie clasps her palms together, lays her cheek on them, and closes her eyes. “Sleep.”

“Sleep.” 

Suddenly, Maddie feels a finger on her nose, with it, an implicit question. 

“Um, nose.” 

Ryn touches her own, repeats, “Nose.” 

They continue on with chin, eyes, ears, lips. Ryn is bold, no concept whatsoever for modesty, and as her fingers drift further down--neck, shoulder, collarbone--Maddie’s breath comes short. She licks her lips and sighs a little as Ryn’s fingers once again trace her tattoo, as they skim further down to lightly cup her breast. 

“Breast,” Maddie sighs as her nipples tighten. “But...we...shouldn’t.” 

Ryn’s eyes flick up towards her. “Should--ent?”

“Um...private?” 

Ryn is thoroughly confused, and Maddie can’t help but think that none of this is probably a big deal in the mermaid world. And it isn’t to her, not really, she’s a biologist and matter-of-fact about bodies and their processes. But the truth is that there’s a tug in her low-belly and every time she blinks she thinks about cupping Ryn’s face in her hands and kissing her. Of sliding their bodies together and moving like the ocean, bathed in silvery moonlight. 

_It could get complicated_ , Helen had said, eyeing both her and Ben. 

Well. 

Ryn reads her body language and backs away, tucks her hand into her side. “Sleep,” she says. She keeps eyeing Maddie though, not quite satisfied with how their...lesson...went. Maddie can see Ryn’s nipples pebbled under the thin nightshirt, her eyes wider and more curious about what was _shouldn’t_. 

In the tense moments that follow, they settle on inching closer together, a game of _is this okay? Yes, that’s okay_ , until their knees and hands graze each other’s. Ryn makes that happy, contented animal sound that she made the night before. 

Then Ryn reaches out and, with her index finger, closes each of Maddie’s eyelids before trailing the tip down the bridge of Maddie’s nose, over her lips, under her chin, once again finding the tattoo before she draws back. 

“Sleep,” Ryn says softly. 

And Maddie does. 

 

 


End file.
